Invasive Plant, Floating Debris and Sediment Containment for Tourism

A clean beach is a happy beach.

Invasive marine plants, jellyfish, seaweed, sargassum, trash and other debris can ruin the party.

Keeping beaches, waterfront resorts, hotels and cruise line terminals clean, safe and beautiful is essential for success in the tourism trade.

ABASCO designs, develops and delivers high-performing, long-lasting aquatic barriers, aquatic booms, debris barriers and floating turbidity curtains ideal for use in all sectors of the tourism industry:

Resorts
Beaches
Cruise line terminals
Hotels
Parks
Marinas
Boat docks
Ports

ABASCO’s containment products are expertly engineered, skillfully crafted and rigidly tested to meet your exacting specifications and keep your customers happy.

Shutting out the Sargassum

For the tourism industry, sargassum – seaweed – is a growing problem.

Sargassum has been invading the tropics at record rates, making it nearly impossible to keep beaches clear and clean.

As the amount – and odor – of decomposing seaweed on beaches increases, so could booking cancellations. That drastically impacts resorts, businesses and communities dependent on tourism.

Key Design Considerations

Selecting the right sargassum or seaweed deflection barrier depends on your site’s unique environmental conditions. When designing a barrier system, consider the following:

Our engineering team will work with you to evaluate these factors and recommend a barrier system and anchoring solution tailored to your specific application.

Providing the Product You Need

ABASCO manufactures high-performing, long-lasting aquatic barriers, aquatic booms, debris barriers and floating turbidity curtains to keep your beach, park, marina or resort beautiful, clean and appealing to your customers.

Aquatic Barriers

ABASCO aquatic barriers provide reliable shoreline protection for lakes, beaches, resorts, and waterfront properties by helping control the impact of seaweed, sargassum, algae, and other floating aquatic vegetation.

Designed for seasonal or long-term deployment, ABASCO barriers are engineered to deflect, redirect, and manage floating vegetation and debris away from protected shoreline areas. Our solutions help maintain cleaner, more accessible waterfront environments while reducing cleanup efforts.

ABASCO offers several aquatic barrier options designed to meet a variety of environmental conditions:

• AB-30 – Light Aquatic Barrier

Designed for light accumulations of floating seaweed and debris in calm water environments.

• AB-60 – Beach Protector

Engineered for heavier seaweed and sargassum conditions in areas with increased wind, currents, and wave activity.

• AB-75 – HD Beach Barrier

Built for the most demanding applications, this heavy-duty barrier handles significant loads of floating aquatic vegetation in challenging marine environments.

Floating Aquatic Booms

ABASCO’s aquatic plant barriers allow water to move through curtain mesh and prevents sargassum or seaweed accumulating along shorelines.

ABASCO’s aquatic plant barriers:

Deflect vegetation where installed
Offer long-term or seasonal protection from buildup
Safe for surrounding environment
Available in multiple high-quality models
Heights range from 30 inches to 75 inches

Debris and Trash Barriers

The Heavy-Duty Floating Debris and Trash barriers provide reliable containment and deflection of heavy debris buildup. Designed with a durable belting system, HDPE floats, and composite screen or monofilament fabric, these booms allow water flow while preventing debris migration.

Turbidity Curtains

Turbidity curtains contain sediment and silt stirred up by construction activities in or near bodies of water.

ABASCO’s turbidity curtains have a series of continuous flotation elements along its top and a fabric skirt hanging below the floats. The skirt is typically long enough to be within one foot of the bottom and can be used to contain various turbidity.

ABASCO’s turbidity curtains usually come in lengths of 25, 50 or 100 feet. Those sections are combined into one continuous protective barrier.

ABASCO manufactures three types of turbidity curtains, for use depending on applications and environmental variables.

Type 1 Turbidity Curtains

Type 1 turbidity curtains, also referred to as type 1 silt curtains, are floating barriers that control sediment or runoff in calm waters:

Small Ponds
Calm water lakes
Construction sites
Protected inland areas

Use ABASCO’s Type 1 economy turbidity curtains in protected waters where the effects of wind, waves, and current are minimal:

Use in water between 2 and 20 feet deep
Available in lengths of 25, 50 and 100 feet
Durable
Made of high-quality PVC-coated polyester fabric
Bottom tension member
Marine-grade flotation

Type 2 Turbidity Curtains

ABASCO’s Type 2 turbidity curtains contain silt and turbidity in moving water. Use Type 2 turbidity curtains in areas with mild current, wind, and wave activity:

Lakes
Streams
Slow-moving rivers
Inter-coastal areas
Tidal areas

Type 2 turbidity curtains are long-lasting and high-performing:

Made of high strength fabric
Durable
Strong
Heavy duty tension members
Aluminum stress plates cornering bottom skirt

ABASCO also offers a Type 2 medium duty version includes heavy duty tension members at the top and bottom of the curtain, and manufactured of high-quality 18 oz. PVC laminated fabric.

Type 3 Heavy Duty Curtains

ABASCO Type 3 turbidity curtains combine high-strength fabric with several other features for use in areas with moderate current, wind and wave activity:

Rivers
Bays
Waterways
Open water exposed to wind and waves

ABASCO’s Type 3 heavy duty turbidity curtains:

Tension members above and below flotation and bottom of curtain
Reinforced fabric
Stress plates at bottom skirt corners
Use in water between 3 and 130 feet
Made of 22 oz. PVC-coated polyester

Delivering the Service You Deserve

For almost a half century, ABASCO has delivered high-performing, long-lasting products to clean up spills, contain sediment, control wastewater and maintain water quality in even the most challenging areas.

ABASCO’s durable, reliable products are used in a wide variety of industries including major oil and gas firms, power companies, marine operations, oil spill contractors, the Navy and Coast Guard, railroads, transportation firms, mining and municipal waste water treatment plants.

ABASCO has the experience, expertise and equipment to supply the turbidity curtains, containment booms, skimmers, baffles and barriers you need for all your exacting and demanding water control and containment applications.

Expertise

Durable, reliable products designed to meet market needs
Dedicated, professional staff
Can customize products for unique applications
Products meet all ASTM and OPA 90 standards
Established network of consultants and sub-contractors provide specialized training
Active member of international groups monitoring oil spills; sediment control and waste water
Can activate additional personnel as needed